The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1887-01-26
OUR CHARLESTON LET.
TER.
Another Struggle Between
the Home and Saloon.
Joy Leaps Out OF the Ashes of
Despair.
A Genuine Specimen of Back.
bone.

This letter was mailed ten DAYS
ago, and only reached US on Mon.
day, Oath, but it has such good
news our readers will enjoy it, if it
is little old.-ED.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, Jan. Is.
DEAR FREEMAN:
This has been a week of much
interest in the Capitol City. The
Legislature is here in full force, &C.
companied by a "mixed multi
tude," who are here for other pur-
poses than making laws tor the
State. The two houses have been
fully organized and are now get.
ting down to solid work. The Pro-
hibitory Amendment has already
been introduced, and its fate may
be decided before this communica-
ton comes to your readers. There
seems to be a general feeling that
it will be submitted this time, but
in my opinion it will be about as
the 'bosses" say.
You have learned before this of
our return to license in this city
and county. We did what we
could, and Commissioner Staunton
fought bravely, but all to no avail
80 far rs the present is concerned
We had over sixteen hundred vo.
tiers $500 names in all on our Pc
titions this time-over three or
tour hundred more than last April.
There were no petitions and no
Counsel on the other side, except
one volunteer. Messrs. Kennedy,
Martin, Workman, Matheweon,
Freer, and myself, backed up our Pc
titions with facts and figures incon-
trovertible. From three to after 6
P. M, the battle went on in the
presence of an audience that filed
the Court HoIse. Our women did
not ~eem it advisable to be there
I this time. But the urgent petit
tons of the Charleston and st. AL
bans W. G. T. US were there.
Cul. R. H. Freer, who was present,
CLOSED the argument with an earn.
ct speech that was both eloquent
and unanswerable. But the Court
seemed anxious to grant license,
and not being able to find single
pretext upon which they could de-
it, withheld their decision until
next morning. They met between
9 and 10 o'clock, a. M, on Thurs
day, and were there until IL look
ing over the petitions, and finally
decided to grant licenee, with tbs
promise that they would be gov
erned by the majority petition in
each of the districts next April,
when the question of license would
come up again. Mr.. Cunningham,
| however, was not willing to regard
petitions at all. He publicly stated
that he regarded his election last
fall as decisive of the fact that the
people of the county wanted Ii
cense. notwithstanding the fact
that he promised, both in his cir
cular and privately to people in va
rious communities that he would
respect the petitions from locali-
ties. Now betrays the good people
by whom he secured his election
not only rejecting their petitions,
but falsely granting license in
their name. Mr.. Calderwood pro-
fesses to favor license in districts
where it is wanted, and to Do op-
posed where it is not wanted, and
80 next April he wants a petition
from each district from both sides.
Surely the fairer way would have
been TO have fulfilled his pledge
by refueing license now on the 2,
500 petitions presented, especially
as there were none on the other
side.
COUNCIL OPENS TIE FLOOD GATES.
On Thursday night the City
Council met and rather to our sur
prise three out of eight present
voted against granting the permits